Liverpool have failed to defend their Premier League title and could miss out on Champions League qualification.
They are now 17 points adrift of leaders Arsenal and five behind fifth-placed Manchester United after Sunday’s 2-1 defeat to Manchester City.
Injury to several key players have contributed to their struggles, with Alexander Isak, Giovanni Leoni, Jeremie Frimpong and Conor Bradley currently on the sidelines.
Jeremy Jacquet, who joined for £55 million in the winter transfer window but was loaned back to Rennes, has also been ruled out for the rest of the season with a shoulder injury.
When asked whether Liverpool have been unlucky this season, manager Arne Slot told the club’s official website: “That is always the question. It feels like that, that’s for sure.
“Even if we sign a player and he’s not even playing for us, he gets injured! So, sometimes it feels like that, but the moment you start to feel it’s all bad luck, probably, it comes to you as well.
“So, we should keep it away as much as possible and just focus on the performance and focus on what we can do to improve it.”
Adding to the narrative of ‘bad luck‘ is the number of late goals Liverpool have conceded in the league this season.
The Reds have conceded four second-half stoppage-time winners – the joint-highest in Premier League history.
“The number of times we conceded late goals in extra time is far more than usual,” Slot added.
“The question is, is it bad luck or are we to blame? I think I’ve tried many different things, so I’ve made defensive substitutions, and the ball went in, and I kept playing the same players, and the ball went in.
“We’ve tried a lot, and sometimes it feels. – I can fairly say we haven’t been lucky; that’s definitely true. Is it then unlucky, or is this part of who we are?
“That is something we can only find out in the upcoming three to four months.”
